Nishinomiya was back, closely following—no, more accurately, waiting on—a woman who looked like a young girl but was actually mature, like a butler trailing a rich young lady or a servant attending a noble princess...
The reason the mature woman looked like a young girl was her outfit: rabbit-ear hair clips, knee-high zebra-print socks, and a pink dress, all of which were full of youthful charm. But no matter how youthful and bright her clothes were, they couldn't hide her maturity. Her dull, yellowing hair, face covered in a thick layer of makeup, and the prominent veins on the backs of her hands all gave away her age.
"Hello, Ms. Dorothea," Bred greeted her first. He knew her.
Dorothea had been a colleague of Bred's parents and had attended their funeral. She was also a scientist with the Science Force. As Laskey had put it, "The people the government values most are scientists. Their pay and status are so good that they're far beyond what the Navy, Cipher Pol, or any other government department can offer. They're probably only a little below the Celestial Dragons." It was easy to understand Nishinomiya's humble attitude.
Dorothea, on the other hand, seemed to have a poor memory. She hesitated. "You are..."
"Bred Hyman. You attended my parents' funeral. I'd like to thank you again." Bred bowed slightly.
Dorothea muttered, "Bred Hyman? Hyman?" Then she suddenly realized. "Oh, you're the Hyman family's child. Sorry! I've been so busy with experiments lately that I've hardly known which way was up... You don't need to thank me. Your parents and I were colleagues, after all. They met with such a tragic end... Never mind. May the departed rest in peace. Talking about them any more will only hurt the living."
Dorothea seemed socially adept, and her